Air Ducts or Furnace: Which Is the Culprit?

Often times when we encounter high heating bills or a problem with our winter comfort, we head straight to our heater to give it a piece of our mind. The problem with that, is oftentimes your heater isn’t the culprit when you’re losing precious heat. If you’ve got a home with extensive ductwork, there is a likely chance that you might be dealing with a leaky air duct system.

So, today we’d like to discuss how you can tell the difference between a faulty heater and a faulty air duct, since they both provide unique problems that require professional solutions. When it comes to heating service in Raleigh, you’re much better off not taking guesses as to what is wrong with your HVAC system. If none of the below points seem familiar, then you’re likely dealing with a failing furnace and you can always call our professional team to take care of the issue.

Checking for Faulty Ducts

Did you know that up to 30% of your heated air could be escaping through leaks in your ductwork? This is heat that you’ve essentially paid for that you’ll never be able to feel! There are various different ways you can check your home for leaky ducts, but we can’t emphasize enough that they can become a serious problem when neglected. So, before you blame your heater for the problems with your heat—take a look at the tips below.

• Take a physical look at your air ducts. Ductwork may be out of sight, but there are probably various crawlspaces and attic spaces where it’s easily visible. After all, a technician had to install it in the first place! Take a thorough look at your ductwork and try to notice sections where there are obvious cracks, leaks, holes, or separations. These need to be sealed by a professional as soon as possible.
• Make sure none of your vents are being obstructed. We like to move furniture around, especially when our homes are constantly being redesigned. The problem is that sometimes our furniture gets in the way of our comfort and we might not even realize it! Make sure that none of your furniture is blocking or sitting on top of an air vent. This will maximize your heat exposure.
• High heating bills. Sometimes the answer is clear and you don’t even have to inspect a thing. If you’ve got an efficient, well-maintained, or new heater that you’re positive is running just fine, but your heating bills are still too high, then you might be dealing with leaky ducts. Leaky ducts can sometimes be hard to notice, but they can’t hide the sheer amount of air that they end up wasting!

While it might not seem like much, having your air ducts inspected, sealed, and repaired can make a major difference in the effectiveness of your heating system. Not only that, but if you’ve got an air conditioner that will be on full blast during the summer months, it’ll be using those same ducts to transfer the cooled air then. Why not nip this in the bud and get duct service before you blame your heater for the problem?

Need help with your leaky ducts? It’s no problem for us. Call Raleigh Heating & Air today for expert duct services.